The dating scene can be tricky to maneuver at times. Early encounters are packed with small talk, making it a struggle to learn if we’re compatible with a potential partner. After all, what impact could our favourite color really have on whether we make a good boyfriend or girlfriend?

If you meet somebody new and want to know what makes them tick, steer the conversation toward his or her Myer-Briggs personality type. They may think you’re a little peculiar when you pull out a clipboard and survey, but if it’s meant to be they will play along!

Once your have their dating personality type profile locked down, take a look at our guide to dating each and every persona below. You’ll soon know if it’s worth hanging around until dessert, or whether you’re better off calling it a night early!

An ISTJ could be a hugely appealing partner or a terrifying one. It all depends on your perspective, and what you value. This personality type tends to be very conservative. An ISTJ will rarely hold any affection for fluffiness of nonsense, and they may come up short in terms of romance. However, what you can be assured of is that an ISTJ will be hugely loyal. The love of formality and structure that governs this personality dictates that they’ll be wholly monogamous.

If you’re looking for a fun loving, footloose and fancy-free partner, look elsewhere. You won’t find an ounce of spontaneity or romance in an ISTJ. If you value stability and conventional family values, however, they are the ideal personality to share your life with.

If quirkiness is important to you in a partner, look no further than an INFJ. This personality type is famed for their sideways view of the world, and they ooze creativity and imagination from every pore.

Of course, you may need to temper this creativity from time to time. An INFJ likes to see the world the way they feel it should or could be, rather than how it is. This means that you’ll have to be the supposed bad guy occasionally, regardless of whether you consider this to be fair

An INFJ is not necessarily one the world’s great doers, but they are very deep thinkers. If that’s appealing to you, and you’re prepared to pick up their slack, they can make great partners.

The INTJ can sometimes be a challenging partner. If you ever feel that your INTJ wishes you were not there, you may be onto something. It’s nothing personal. This highly reserved personality profile just finds any social interaction to be draining.

If you are dating an INTJ, never try to drag them along to a party filled with strangers. It will be their personal hell, and you’ll just end up frustrated at their visible discomfort. If you enjoy discussing facts and theories, however, you’ll share many an enjoyable evening with this personality type.

Another advantage of dating an INTJ is that you can relinquish any responsibility for planning, if that’s not your forte. These individuals can plot every decision down to the Nth degree. If you permit an INTJ partner to do this, however, do not deviate from their plan. This personality type loathes uncertainty.

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Dating an ENFJ means dating a people-pleaser. This personality type is charming and outgoing, and will be guided by a firm and unshakable code of ethics. You can trust an ENFJ partner to always think of you, and to value your views and needs at least as highly as their own.

ENFJs can frustrate some partners, however, with their abstract thinking. This is not a personality type that looks at the world around them and takes decisive action. Instead, the ENFJ lives in a world of, “what if?”

Sharing your life with an ENFJ means that you may need to spend a lot of time calming down an anxious partner. This personality type will often muse – and worry – about what could happen one, five or ten years in the future. Thankfully, the ENFJ’s pleasant nature ensures that this foible is just part of their personality package, rather than a fatal flaw.

An ISTP is, as a wise man once said, like a box of chocolates – you never know what you’re going to get.

On the surface, this personality type is purely logical. They may even appear cold to a potential romantic partner, upon first impressions. Peel back the layers of an ISTP, however, and you will find a joyful and spontaneous soul.

The ISTP may spend Monday drawing up a household budget, and filling in their tax return six months early. On Tuesday, however, the ISTP could walk through the door with a bunch of flowers and airline tickets for a surprise vacation in Paris. Life is rarely dull with this personality type!

The ISTP likes to retain an air of mystery, and will not always show their true colors when first meeting somebody. If you are interested, however, stick around for a while. They may take a while to open up, but when they do, the rewards can be great.

The ESFJ is everybody’s friend, and if you’re lucky, something a little more. Shrinking violets need not apply when it comes to dating an ESFJ, as the social nature of this personality type may intimidate the shy. Overall, however, the ESFJ is defined by an easy-going and charismatic persona.

What you will need to bear in mind is that the time and attention of an ESFJ will always be in demand. This personality type likes to stay busy, and will generally have a wide circle of friends. As naturally outgoing and nurturing types, an ESFJ may also be drawn to a time-consuming and caring occupation.

Do you have the patience to fight for your partner’s attention? You may be competing with a constant stream of family parties, work functions and volunteer activities. Life with an ESFJ is rarely quiet, but if you can keep up, you’ll have a great time.

If you have no tolerance for dreamers, then an INFP partner is not the one for you. This personality type is the archetypical introvert, and will avoid personal conversations where possible. An INFP may also struggle to make decisions quickly, which may be frustrating to some.

Where this personality type comes into their own, however, is in the realms of imagination and spiritualty. Once an INFP becomes comfortable in your company, you may find yourself lost in their theories and fantasies.

Even the most mundane activity or incident can have a deeper metaphorical meaning, according to an INFP. This can make for a beautiful spiritual connection, if you are similarly inclined.

If you’re going to date an ESFP, prepare for your social circle to expand drastically. This personality type is hugely outgoing and loves people – and people tend to love the ESFP right back.

You will find that your partner is often in the spotlight as the center of attention. Whether you are comfortable with this is down to you. As such a sociable personality type, the ESFP is bags of fun. They can, however, also leave their partner feeling second best.

This is not their intention, and is not done with malice. It’s just that an ESFP is born to work a room. That does not always leave time for one-on-one quality time with a partner.

Perhaps more than any other personality type, the ENFP will fight tooth and claw to maintain their individuality in a relationship. An ENFP will always think of themselves as an, “I”, no matter how hard you push them to consider your unit as a, “we.”

This is nothing personal, and it doesn’t mean that the ENFP is non-committal. They just find it incredibly stifling to be forced into a box, and expected to live a conventional, routine life.

The good news is that an ENFP relies heavily on their instincts surrounding people. If you make a good impression on this personality type, you are clearly doing something right! ENFPs are rarely interested in anybody with a cookie-cutter persona.

If you are planning to date an ESTP, you better prepare yourself for a hurricane of activity. This personality type is not interested in sitting down and making plans for the future. They’re barely interested in sitting down at all!

ESTPs will always be seeking their next adventure. The train isn’t stopping, and you can either hop on board or get off. This could be a blessing for a short-term union, as it’s guaranteed to be a period of fun and adventure.

If you’re looking for something with a solid future, however, you may need to force an ESTP to act against their nature to think about such things. This will not come naturally, or easily, so you may need to make some of the running.

The ESTJ is an ideal partner for somebody that loves tradition. This personality type believes in honesty and integrity at all times, and makes a great moral compass. The right thing to do is not always the easy thing to do, but an ESTJ will not let that stand in their way.

Having an ESTJ for a partner will also ensure that you’ll have an on-hand sounding board and counselor at all times. What you will need to remember, however, is that so will everybody else!

This personality type will always look to help a friend – or stranger – in need. Some people may consider this to be at the detriment of their own relationship, if they are not comfortable with sharing.

What’s your personality type? Take the Free Personality Test ->

If you have a submissive personality and are looking for somebody to help you take charge of your life, an ENTJ may just be your soulmate. These individuals are born to lead, and while they constantly look to take the next step in their life, they will happily bring a partner along for the ride.

An ENTJ makes a great partner for somebody that struggles to make decisions. In a period of indecision, the ENTJ will assess the facts and make a choice based on logic. In fact, they will positively relish the chance to overcome an obstacle.

This will only work if you are prepared to surrender control of your destiny, though. A feisty and opinionated individual and an ENTJ can resemble the mythical irresistible force and immovable object!

If dating an INTP, you should strive to appeal to their keen love of all things logical. This personality type is at their happiest when they can see and decipher a pattern, and react accordingly.

This desire to deconstruct does not make INTPs particularly handy around the house. Don’t rely on them to stay on top of day-to-day mundanity, like remembering to take out the trash. Allow an INTP the opportunity to find a creative solution to a problem, however, and they’ll be work tirelessly to do so.

Routine and structure will be important if you date an INTP – and so will honesty. This personality type can usually spot even the smallest white lie from ten paces. Don’t claim that you were delayed in the office when you pop out for a drink after work. You will be caught out!

Relationships are supposed to be a matter of give and take, but the ISFJ tends to lean more heavily on the side of giving. This personality type is generous almost to a fault, and will always see the best in any situation. An ISFJ can almost be a parent as much as a partner.

As big-hearted, sensitive and compassionate individuals, ISFJs make great and loving partners. However, this good nature can also be taken advantage of if the ISFJ is not careful.

This personality type will always look to bring out the best in their partner, and help them to realize their goals. They just need to cautious that they do not spend so much time nurturing somebody else that their own needs are not met.

ENTP personality types are unique and contradictory by their nature, which befits their status as one of the rarest personality types in the world. Although they are extroverts, don’t expect a great deal of small talk from an ENTP partner. Somebody of this profile will not be much of a party animal, and will rarely enjoy large crowds of strangers.

What you can expect from an ENTP, however, is plenty of scintillating conversation. If you’re looking for a partner to feed your brain, you’ll find it here. This personality type craves mental stimulation, and loves nothing more than staying up long into the night discussing life, love and the pursuit of happiness.

Another defining factor of the ENTP is their rational mind. Life with this personality type should be comparatively harmonious. ENTPs are not led by emotion, and they won’t hurl plates at the wall during a disagreement. They will, however, be logical and calculated in their approach to all things. You may never win an argument in your household again!

Despite being introverted by nature, an ISFP makes a very sociable and interactive partner. They may not be immediately chatty and approachable, but once they warm up to you there may be no stopping the fun.

Unlike many introverted personality types, ISFPs live for spontaneity and adventure. This means they make excellent friends as well as partners, and they’re sure to be the life and soul of any party – if they feel comfortable with the people that surround them.

Where an ISFP makes for a less-than-ideal partner is if you’re looking for somebody build strong foundations for the future. This personality types lives for the moment, and adopts a Que Sera, Sera approach to tomorrow. That could be frustrating for a more grounded personality type.